Dustpaw or Rockheart?
by Dusty-Dustfur
Summary: Dustpaw feels that she should be a warrior, but is not recieving the ceremony. Then she is captured by an enemy Clan and they offer to make her a warrior. Which will she choose, a life as a praised warrior, or that of a loved apprentice? Chap1 fixed R
1. Dreams

Dustpaw was dreaming.

In her dream, she was walking through the woods, and she came apon Fourtrees, bright green in the newleaf sun. She could feel a familiar presence, but when she looked beside her, there was no one there.

Suddenly the sky was clouded over, and a choking blackness rolled into the hollow. Unable to see,hear or smell anything, Dustpaw, lost and scared, turned and ran in a random direction, trying desparately to escape the darkness.

And then she woke, finding herself in BrackenClan camp.

Dustpaw, a dusty-gray maine coon apprentice, stretched after a long sleep. She had been sick for some time, sleeping for hours, sometimes days at a time. She yawned, feelingtired already, even after sleeping all that time. A familiar calico tom poked his head through the Medicine Cat's Den entrance. He looked around, then padded over and lied down near Dustpaw, drawing a tongue over her ear. Dustpaw purred. Wildpaw, another apprentice, was Dustpaw's best friend, perhaps more. "When are you getting better?" he asked anxiously.

Dustpaw sighed. "Moonfrost hasn't said anything." Moonfrost, a white she-cat with black ears and tail, was the BrackenClan Medicine Cat.

At Wildpaw's saddening face, Dustpaw mewed, "Relax! I'm not going through pain or anything." she licked his ear. "Why don't we go and get some fresh-kill from the pile? I'm feeling hungry"

Wildpaw brightened. "You were never hungry before. Maybe you're getting better!" he trotted off to the fresh-kill pile and grabbed two pieces, which he dragged back to Dustpaw. They ate in silence, enjoying one another's company.

Dustpaw yawned. "I think I'm feeling tired again. I'm going back to bed." she curled up in her nest and was soon asleep, twitching every now and again.

Days went on the same way. Dustpaw was always sleeping, always tired. She was barely and almost never hungry.

One day in the middle of Newleaf, Dustpaw was up and walking through camp. It was sunhigh, and a nice warm one compared with the harsh cold Leaf-bare and the beginnings of Newleaf. Dustpaw's uncle, Samir, a black and white shorthaired cat, meowed, "It's good to see you up and walking. I hope you're feeling better." his green eyes looked at her curiously.

"Yes, I'm feeling much better, thank you." Dustpaw mewed courteously. Samir dipped his head in a good-bye and turned towards the camp entrance, where his mate Eaglefeather was waiting for him. Eaglefeather was the BrackenClan deputy, Dustpaw's mentor and her best friend besides Wildpaw. Eaglefeather was a mostly brown maine coon with white around her eyes and muzzle. Her sharp claws made her a dangerous opponent. She mewed a greeting to Dustpaw before exiting camp, with Samir following.

Dustpaw looked around. Wildpaw was training with his mentor, Starfur, so Dustpaw really had nothing to do. She thought about her dream. Something bad was going to happen at Fourtrees. It had looked like she was going to be lost...at fourtrees? How do you get lost at fourtrees? It was just open except the trees themselves and the Great Rock. Dustpaw shook her head. Maybe it wasn't sent by StarClan, maybe just a normal nightmare. Then she reflected on how the great Firestar and Brambleclaw had thought wrongly so about their dreams. She wondered briefly about Brambleclaw. How old had he been when made a warrior?

Dustpaw's train of thought turned towards her own training. She was old enough to be made a warrior, and yet the leader, Morningstar, a bright yellow she-cat, had not made her a warrior yet. In fact, Morningstar had not emerged from her den or been heard from in days. Dustpaw sighed, looking wistfully at Smoketail, who not long ago had been an apprentice. Dustpaw had talked to Smoketail and comforted him in his times of sadness. She had helped a few cats get over sadness as a kit, and was still eager to help whomever would like it.

Dustpaw thought a second time about her dream. What was that presence she had felt? Did it mean that someone was with her all the time? Sighing, Dustpaw rolled onto her back and stretched, feeling that she would never understand her dream at all.

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In case no one has noticed, I changed the first chap slightly to work through the story. Sorry about that.

Ok, I know it's a pretty sad beginning. But hey, my first fic here! Give me slack! However, critizism is WELCOMED. I could always use suggestions on improvements on my writing (worships critizism). But a few other notes:

1. I DO NOT OWN THE WARRIORS.  
2. I DO NOT OWN BRACKENCLAN. IT BELONGS TO MORNINGSTAR.  
3 I DO NOT OWN ANY CHARACTERS IN BRACKENCLAN. THEY BELONG TO THEMSELVES.  
4. I DO OWN DUSTPAW, SAMIR, RAVENFEATHER, FIRECLAW, ADDERPAW, JAYCALL, RAINPELT, SLATECLAW, GENTLEBREEZE, SHADOWPELT, AND A FEW OTHERS. I'LL POINT THE REST OUT IF THEY'RE THERE.  
5. EAGLEFEATHER, GIBBYHEART, WILDPAW, FALCONWING, FLAMEFURAND FOGSTAR BELONG TO EAGLEFEATHER. NOT ME.

And yes, I go on neopets. DEAL WITH IT. This whole story was thought up by me, based on the characters from my guild, .:Bracken Clan:. . So yeah. Another thing: Morningstar is "indesposed". I'm saying that because she hasn't answered us when we try to contact her. No clue what's up, so don't ask.

And another thing. Yes, you may use my characters if you want to. Just ask.

And another thing. If anyone else goes on Neopets, and wants to talk about it, go ahead.

Review please!


	2. Capture

Dustpaw was still mulling when Wildpaw, done withhis training, padded up to Dustpaw. "Are you feeling any better?" he asked anxiously.

Dustpaw looked at him and smiled. "I do feel better," Dustpaw meowed, "but Moonfrost says I am still sick." She sighed. "I hope I get better soon. You know how frustrating it is to be sleeping all the time? Plus I have weird dreams"

Wildpaw cocked his head but said nothing. Dustpaw liked the way he minded his own business.

Dustpaw stood up. "I'm going to ask Moonfrost if I can get out of the Medicine Cat's den.." she meowed. She padded back into the Medicine Cat's den (which she had memorized in great detail, being in there so much), and looked around for the white she-cat. Moonfrost was found grounding a sweet-smelling herb into powder. "Moonfrost?" Dustpaw ventured.

Moonfrost looked up from her job, a friendly sparkle in her eyes. "Yes, Dustpaw? What is it"  
"I feel a lot better now," Dustpaw explained, "I have been a lot less sleepy lately and have been more hungry. Am I better? Do I have to sleep here anymore?"

"Hmm." Moonfrost said thoughtfully, checking Dustpaw's temperature with the back of her paw. "Are you sure you feel better?" She mewed carefully.

"Positive," Dustpaw replied.

"Then you can go," Moonfrost nodded her approval and turned back to her herbs.

"Yes! Thank you, Moonfrost!" With that, Dustpaw ran out of the den and back to Wildpaw to share the good news. "Wildpaw!" she exclaimed happily, "I don't have to stay in there anymore! I can sleep in the apprentice's den now!"

Wildpaw smiled and mewed, "That's great! Now we can go and do stuff"

Dustpaw looked at the sky skeptically. "It's almost sunset. We wouldn't accomplish much"

Wildpaw looked up also. After a short pause, he sighed, "Yeah, I guess you're right. What do you want to do now? We still have a few hours until dark"

Dustpaw sighed. "Maybe we could just go for a walk around the borders?" Dustpaw suggested. Wildpaw nodded and bounded towards the camp entrance, Dustpaw following closely. The two walked along and talked, until they reached fourtrees. Dustpaw had only seen this place during patrols, and had never been to a Gathering, despite her ten moon age. She wondered what it looked like by the light of the full moon and filled with mostly familiar cats.  
She was suddenly reminded of her dream and the thickdarkness and shivered.

Just then,a rank scent then filled her nostrils. She looked in the direction the scent was coming from, and before she could do anything about it, a patrol from an enemy Clan, DarkClan, pounced from the undergrowth and siezed Dustpaw. One of them, a large black cat with white ears, tail tip and huge paws, hit Wildpaw on the head so hard that Wildpaw was knocked out cold. Dustpaw yowled in outrage and wriggled, trying to get free. Somehow she felt as if this scenario reminded her of something, or like she had done this before, but she shook it away and continued yowling and snarling incomprehensively. She soon began cussing and cursing at the cats, using words and terms not appropriate for the rating. One of the warriors, a large brown tabby, snorted. "You really are hardened against your new Clan," he spat, "I think we'll call you Rockpaw."  
Dustpaw paused. 'Rockpaw? New Clan? Am I a recruit?' Dustpaw decided that it must be so. She also came to the conclusion that verbally abusing her enemies wasn't getting her anywhere. She fell completely silent, listening to everything said.  
"You'll be taken to the leader, and initiated to the Clan," the tabby continued, "You will be guarded at all times, not to mention all the other warriors who might be watching you. So don't try anything"  
As the patrol was heading to the heart of DarkClan territory, Dustpaw devised a plan. If she cooperated and pretended to be loyal to DarkClan, they might trust her enough to lay off on the guards. Dustpaw decided to try it. She was quiet throughout the rest of the journey, and even walked obediantly, following the patrol. Silently, she dispaired, 'My life just changed in about two minutes. What now?'

Eventually, the patrol arrived in the camp. The brown tabby at the head of the patrol cautiously and reverently approached a den entrance. He called out, "Fogstar?"

The patrol was very shocked to see Fogstar, a longhaired gray cat who had dark gray stripes, pounce out of the darkness to land barely a mouse-length from the brown tabby's nose. The tom leapt back in surprise.

Fogstar, the leader of DarkClan, narrowed his eyes. "What is going on? I smell BrackenClan filth in my camp"

Dustpaw seethed with rage. Before her was the cat who had once broken Eaglefeather's heart. If not for Samir, Eaglefeather would have given in and most likely died or waited until she had. Fogstar had also attempted to join forces with Shadowpelt, a former EarthClan warrior and actually Dustpaw's murderer. Thanks to Dustpaw's loyal friends, and a cat sent from StarClan, Dustpaw was still alive. Dustpaw vaguely wondered where Shadowpelt was.

The brown tom bowed his head. "We found this one-" he shoved Dustpaw closer, "-near Fourtrees. We thought we could use her. She seems quite close to Eaglefeather"

Fogstar blinked in thought. "She may prove useful. We shall keep her." he consented.

The brown tabby nodded. "What do we call her? She can't keep her old name"

Fogstar paused. "What do you suggest?"

The brown tabby mewed, "I was thinking Rockpaw, because she seemed to be hardened against our cause"  
Fogstar nodded. "That will do. Now she needs guards. Falconwing, Flamefur! I want you guarding this apprentice _constantly_. If she gets away, you'll_both_ be penalized"

The named cats nodded and came forward, taking up posts on either side of Dustpaw.

Seeing how well she was guarded, and all the cats staring at her anyway, Dustpaw wondered if she would ever get away. Then her sadness was driven away by a wave of fury and determination. 'I have survived death,' Dustpaw thought grimly, 'I can make it through DarkClan.'

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Oh man, you guys shoulda seen the roleplay version of this...Dustpaw was really mad, ranting like a madcat. If there wasn't a ban on swearing on Neopets (which, I wouldn't swear anyway...) Dustpaw would really be cussing up a storm.

Anyway, review. And again: CRITICIZM ish GOOD!

Also, I do not know that Eaglefeather the Deputy person out there...

And, I bet you could guess what the dream means. EAGLEFEATHER, YOU DON'T COUNT.

Review please!


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